Caroline Garcia beats Aliaksandra Sasnovich to reach Guadalajara second round
Sep 20, 2023
Guadalajara [Mexico], September 20 : No.3 seed Caroline Garcia defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich in three sets after saving two match points to reach the second round of the Guadalajara Open.
No.10 seed Victoria Azarenka also progressed to the Round of 16.
The third-seeded player saved two match points in a come-from-behind second-round victory at the WTA 1000 event, 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4.
In spite of making 85 unintentional mistakes in 2 hours and 45 minutes during her first match of the week as she struggled to adapt to the altitude, Garcia maintained a positive attitude and eventually improved in the third set.
"We saw a few forehands directly in the wall behind [the court]. but it is what it is!" Garcia was quoted as saying by WTA.
"I'm very happy and very pleased with the way I managed to fight at the end of the second set. I lost a little bit my serve at the end of the first set and the beginning of the second set, but I managed to come back. It's a great win, and I definitely need wins," she continued.
Garcia advances to face American Hailey Baptiste in the third round. Baptiste defeated No. 16 seed Karolina Pliskova in the second round by saving a match point.
With a 6-4, 7-6(5) victory over Dayana Yastremska in the same quarter of the draw, former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka also advanced to the Round of 16.
To keep the match from going to a third set, Azarenka had to save two set points at 5-4 in the second set. After 2 hours and 9 minutes of play, the two-time Australian Open champion was able to break free and end the second-set tiebreak.
"I had to adapt and fight, and that's how I got the win," Azarenka said on court after her victory.
